The Last Bison's major-label debut, "Inheritance," is in stores

Photo by Jon Hildy, courtesy of The Last Bison

Photo by Jon Hildy, courtesy of The Last Bison

Sam McDonald

Chesapeake's own chamber-folk champs, The Last Bison, celebrate the release of a full-length, major-label debut album, "Inheritance," today. For a working, touring band like The Last Bison, though, "celebration" doesn't equal "party."

The group recently left home for a seven-week tour. Yesterday, the band played a gig in Florida. Tonight, it's set to perform at The Melting Point in Athens, Ga.

"We drive, we play a show, we go to sleep," said keyboard player Andrew Benfante, speaking from the group's van yesterday. "But the shows have been good. We sold out a couple of them. There were a couple weird ones, but, in general, there's been good response ... It's a good show if you've impacted somebody, I guess, with your music. That's the barometer."

Critical response to the record, released on Universal-Republic, is coming in slowly. The Virginian-Pilot weighed in with a review today, describing the band's approach as a "cloying musical recipe," before giving the recording props for bold invention.

"Despite its flaws, 'Inheritance' is a solid introduction to The Last Bison’s ambitious musicianship," wrote Rashod Ollison. "Promise abounds. Bright with tricky melodic twists and thoughtful, sometimes graceful, arrangements, the album offers something a little richer than the rootsy, knee-slapping hoedown romps currently all the rage."

A review on the Tri State Indie website was more enthusiastic. "The record itself is a true work of art," rhapsodized Matthew Latessa. "Emotional nuances that range from dolefulness to elation match with instrumental ensembles sometimes upbeat and confident and sometimes delicate and vulnerable. The final product is a record that captures a panoramic view of the Virginia mountains and valleys."

Listen to a WROX-FM radio special, featuring members of the band talking about the new album, below.

Next week, The Last Bison will head for Texas to attend the mammoth South By Southwest music festival in Austin. That event, sometimes called spring break for the music industry, can be an important step in crafting a national buzz.

The Last Bison is set to play at several showcase events during the festival including ones hosted by Spotify, celebrity chef Rachael Ray and Universal Music Group.